Sorting and classifying of flat sheets, tallies, cards, or the like



ug- 8, 1939 M. A. JOHNSTON 2,169,050

SORTING AND CLASSIFYING OF FLAT SHEETS, TALLIES, CARDS, OR THE LIKE Filed Deo. 8, 19:56 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig! Inventor, /ytrfn k/o/ion,

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M.v A. JOHNSTON SORTING AND CLASSIFYING 0F FLAT SHEETS, TALLIES. CARDS, 0R THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1956 ll l] ll ll ll ll Il Il se 5| 5b I nve nt'or, /Xrfon fle/alfa 575:,

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Patented Aug. 8, 1939 SORTING AND CLASSIFYING l' FLAT SHEETS, TALI-IES, CARDS, 0R THE IJKE Merton A. Johnston, Indianapolis. Ind. Application December 8, 193B, Serial No. 114,817 s claims (ci. 12s-iai) This invention relates to the art of sorting and separating into classified groups, sheets, cards, tailles, or the like (hereinafter referred to simply as cards), and has for its primary object the provision of means to facilitate and insure positive and thorough classification in an extremely simple embodiment. v

These and many other objects of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art from the following description of the invention as illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view'in perspective of a bank of cards of one particular form adapted to be employed in my invention;

Fig. 2, a front elevation of the sorting mechanism;

Fig. 3, a rear elevation; Fig. 4, an end elevation in partial section; and Fig. 5, a detail in vertical transverse section of a card agitating means.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the cards to be sorted are preferably formed to be generally rectangular in shape and having one corner, here shown as the upper right hand corner, cut off as an indicating means to determine when all the cards in a stack or group are in their upright positions. The margins of the cards preferably carry suitable characters, here shown as figures, which are indicative of the classes in which the cards are to be sorted. As is commonly done in order to conserve space, these characters may indicate a code. For example, the characters as shown on the cards in Fig. 1 constitute the numerals from right to left, I, 2, 4 and 1. A card to be placed in class 1 would have the I position notched as indicated by the front card I5. Fig. 1. Cards going into the second classification would have the number 2 position notched out as in the Second card from the front. Cards going into the number 3 classification would have both the numbers I and 2 notched out as indicated ih the third card. Card for number 4 classification would therefore have the number 4 position notched out as indicated by the fourth card. The card going into the numberV 5 classification would have the numbers I and 4 notched out as indicated by the fifth card, leaving the portion of the card intervening therebetween bearing the numeral number 2. The card going into the number 6 classiflcation would have the card notched out in both the number 2 and 4 positions. Class 7 card would have the numeral 'I position notched out only as indicated by the seventh card in the group. Class 8 card would have both the positions of the numbers I and 'I notched out as indicatedby the eighth card in the group. Class 9 card would be notched out in the positions of both the numerals 5 2 and l as indicated by the ninth card in the group. Likewise cards going into class 10 would have notches including the positions of numerals I and 2 and 'I as indicated by the tenth card in the group. Thus it is to be seen that with but ill four positions of the numerals on the card, ten

classifications may be indicated by varying the ticular code. Variations in the classifications of course may be multiplied by employing the numerals along the margin in other divisions than in the first division above referred to. It is to 20 be particularly noted that the margins oi' the cards are originally smooth and non-perforated and that the notches are cut into solid parts of the cards to open out from the marginal edges thereof. The cards II are further provided each 25 with a hole I4 n ear the upper margin and to one side of the vertical center line of the card. Also each card is provided with a lower hole I1 adjacent the lower marginof the card and positioned on the other side of the vertical centerline 30 of the card. The purposes of these two holes I6 and I1 will become apparent as the sorting operation is hereinbelow described. J

A box Il is provided to receive a batch of cards I i. The length of the box is arranged so that 35 the cards may not be displaced endwise but are yet free to slide vertically and fore and aft within the box. The box is left open from the top to permit insertion and removal of the cards. Transversely carried across the lower part of the i0 box are a number of sorting bars I0.

Throughout the several views in the drawings, the cards I l are indicated as being in a spaced apart relation in the box Il solely for the sake of preventing confusion. Of course normally the 45 cards will be in contact one against the other without any appreciable intervening space.

The box I4 is supported by its rear lower corner on a screw-threaded shaft 40 which is revo y lubly mounted on any suitable means such as a 50 table 4I. 'I'he mounting of the box thereon is achieved through a pair of brackets 42 screwthreadedly engaging the shaft 40 in spaced apart relation. The forward portion of the box I8 is supported on a roller 43, here shown as being 55 Vlii revolubly carried between two upwardly extending arms 44 and 45. A cam track 44 extends the entire length of the box II along its under side to bear normally on this roller 4I.

The arms 44 and 45 extend downwardly to be connected to a horizontally shiftable member 49 hereinafter termed a slide. A key 41 is pivotally mounted on the table 4I to have a downturned foot 48 in the path of the slide 49 so that by pressing downwardly on the key 41, the foot 4l may be rocked rearwardly to shift the slide 45 rearwardly. As the slide 49 is thus shifted, the roller 43 strikes a down and rearwardly turned surface of the cam track 4G and thereby lifts the front side of the box I8 in a rocking manner since the box is pivoted through the brackets 42 on the shaft 40.

Further depression of the key 41 after the initial lifting or rocking of the box Il carries the roller 43 on back onto a flattened portion of the cam track 46 so as to cause no further appreciable lifting of the box I8. However as the slide 49 is pushed rearwardly this further distance, the rear end of the slide strikes a lever 50 which is directed downwardly into the path of the slide from a shaft 5i mounted on the table and extending toward an end of the shaft 46 where an upturned lever 52 is engaged on the shaft 5I. This upturned lever 52 carries a pawi 53 which is shifted over into engagement with a ratchet wheel 5t when the lever 5U is positioned rearwardly. The ratchet wheel 54 is secured to the shaft 4G. Therefore when the key 41 is suiilciently depressed, not only is the forward side of the box i8 lifted, but the box I8 is also advanced along the shaft dil a dednite distance by reason of the pawl 53 turning the ratchet wheel 56 in accordance with the predetermined amount of travel. This travel is arranged to be that equal to the distance from the center of one bar i9 to the center oi an adjacent bar I9, it being understood that the bars are shiftable vertically within the box.

Upon release oi. the key tl, the slide 4S is returned to the original normal forward position by any suitable means such as by return spring 55, Fig. 4, whereupon the pawl 53 is returned to its rear position by the return spring 5S and the box i8 is lowered by its front end to its normal level position. In this lowered position, one or more stops 5l selectively positioned on the table 4l are directly under the selected bars i9 and these stops 5l project above the table a sufficient distance so as to cause lifting of those bars i9 immediately thereabove when the box M ls lowered over the stops, Fig. d. In other words by shifting the box i3 along the shaft 4t, the desired bars I9 may be lifted in accordance with the locations of the stops 5? thereunder. The cards i5 are punched from their margins as above described so that the bars i8 lifted may raise all of the cards not notched in accordance with those lifted bars.

Preferably the box carries characters 58 on its forward side corresponding to the similar character positions on the cards i5 and an indicator 59 is attached to the table 4i so as to indicate the desired positioning of the box i8. The shaft 40 may be revolved to eiiect a quick lateral move.. ment of the box I8 by any suitable means such as a hand wheel 60 aiilxed to one end of the shaft. The stops 51 may be carried by the table 4i in any suitable manner, here shown as being carried in slots formed in the table.

In operating the device, the batch 0f cards I5 to be sorted is placed within the box Il in an inverted position so that the notches in the cards will then be presented lowermost to engage over the bars I9 that may be raised in accordance with the selecting and classification desired.

After it is certain that all of the cards I5 are in their proper positions as to vertical elevation, a needle 36 is passed through the holes I'l of all of the cards which have been lifted by the bars I9. These holes I1 are so positioned in reference to the card margins and in reference to the depths of the notches cut in the other margins of the cards that the needle 36 may be threaded through the holes I1 of all the cards raised without striking the other cards remaining in the lower or non-lifted positions.

A second needle 31, is then pushed inwardly through the box Il to pass through the holes I8 of the cards I5 remaining in the lower positions. Following the insertion of the needle 3l', which serves as a means to retain the cards thus threaded thereon in the box i8, the needle il@ is lifted vertically so as to withdraw all of those cards threaded thereon, thus leaving behind in the box all of the cards having notches corresponding to the character positions of the elevated bars I9. Those cards left behind in the box may be removed for any desired purpose, or they may be pushed to the forward or rear ends of the box so as to make room` for admittance of additional cards for similar sorting and classi ilcationv by repeating the operations above described. I'he needle 31, for the saire of convenience if desired, has a spring normally returning the needle 31 to a forward non-engaging position so as to be free of interference in further card sorting operations. The needle 31, when the spring is used, must, of course, be held inwardly when engaging cards.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the form as now best known to me, it is obvious that structural variations may he made without departing from the spirit ol the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

l. In a card sorting device for cards having margins variably notched, a card receiving box, a plurality of liftable bars extending across the box, each of said bars being spaced apart distances equal to the locations of possible adjacent notches in the cards, and means for selectively lifting said bars corresponding to the notched positions in those cards to be separated from the remaining cards whereby other cards otherwise notched or not notched are lifted, said means comprising at least one stop, a shaft interengagh ing said box, means for lifting and lowering said box over said stop whereby said stop mayv push up one of said bars positioned thereabove, and means advancing said box along said shaft to selectively position said bars over said stop.

2. In a card sorting device for cards having margins variably notched, a card receiving box, a plurality of liftable bars extending across the box, each of said bars being spaced apart distances equal to the locations of possible adjacent notches in the cards, and means for selectively lifting said bars corresponding to the notched positions in those cards to be separated from the remaining cards whereby other cards otherwise notched or not notched are liftedysaid means comprising at least one stop, a shaft interengaging said box, means for lifting and lowering said box over said stop whereby said stop may push up one of said bars positioned thereabove, and means advancing said box along said shaft to selectively position said bars over said stop, and a common key for actuating both said box lifting and said box advancing means.

3. In a card sorting devicefor cards having margins variably notched, a card receiving box, a plurality of liftable bars extending across the box, each of said bars being spaced apart distances equal to the locations of possible adjacent notches in the cards, and means for selectively lifting said bars corresponding to the notched positions in those cards to be separated from the remaining cards whereby other cards otherwise notched or not notched are lifted, said means comprising at least one stop, a shaft interengaging said box, means for lifting and lowering said box over said stop whereby said stop may push up one of said bars positioned thereabove, and means advancing said box along said shaft to selectively position said bars over said stop, said box lifting means comprising a sloped track and a member urged against said track.

4. In a card sorting device for cards having margins variably notched, a card receiving box, a plurality of liftable bars extending across the box, each of said bars being spaced apart distances equal to the locations of possible adjacent notches in the cards, and means for selectively lifting said bars corresponding to the notched positions in those cards to be separated from the remaining cards whereby other cards otherwise notched or not notched are lifted, said means comprising at least one stop, a shaft interengaging said box. means for lifting and lowering said box over said stop whereby said stop may push up one of said bars positioned thereabove, and meansv advancing said box along said shaft to selectively position said bars over said stop, said box advancing means comprising screw-threads on said shaft, a ratchet wheel on the shaft and a pawl operating said wheel.

5. In a card sorting device for cards having margins variably notched, a card receiving box, a plurality of liftable bars extending across the box, each of said bars being spaced apart distances equal to the locations of possible adjacent notches in the cards, and means for selectively lifting said bars corresponding to the notched positions ln those cards to be separated from the remaining cards whereby other cards otherwise notched or not notched are lifted, said means comprising at least one stop, a shaft interengaging said box, means for lifting and lowering said box over said stop whereby said stop may push up one of said bars positioned thereabove, and means advancing said box along said shaft to selectively position said bars over said stop, and a common key for actuating both said box lifting and said box advancing means, said box lifting means comprising a memberl interconnecting with said key to be urged therebyinto a box lifting position, and said box advancing means including shaft shifting means actuated by said key.

6. In a card sorting system for cards having variably notched margins, a card receiving box, liftable bars extending across the box, means shiftably carrying the box and a relatively fixed member over which the box may be shifted, said box being open on its under side whereby said member will selectively strike and lift said bars and may shift cards not notched to correspond with the relative position of that member as the card containing box may be shifted thereover.

7. In a card sorting system for cards having variably notched margins, a card receiving box, liftable bars extending across the box, means shiftably carrying the box and a relatively fixed member over which the box may be shifted, said box being open on its under side whereby said member will selectively strike and lift said bars and may shift cards not notched to correspond with the relative position of that member as the card containing box may be shifted thereover, and vibratory means breaking down adherence between adjacent cards to permit shifting therebetween.

8. In a card sorting system for cards having variably notched margins, a card receiving box, liftable bars extending across the box, means shiftably carrying the box and a relatively fixed member over which the box may be shifted, said box being open on its under side whereby said member will selectively strike and lift said bars and may shift cards not notched to correspond with the relative position of that member as the card containing box may be shifted thereover. and means selectively advancing the box relative to said member.

MERTON A. JOHNSTON. 

